SPECIATION ANALYSIS OF ORGANOLEAD COMPOUNDS IN WINE BY CAPILLARY GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY MICROWAVE-INDUCED-PLASMA ATOMIC-EMISSION SPECTROMETRY

A method was developed for the speciation analysis of ionic organolead compounds in wine. The analytes were extracted as diethyldithlocarbam ate complexes into hexane and propylated with a Grignard reagent. The derivatized extract was analyzed by capillary gas chromatography/micro wave-induced-plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The method of standa rd additions was used for calibration to correct for variable recoveri es and signal enhancements. Red, rose, and white wines from southern F rance were analyzed. Trimethyllead was the ubiquitous species. The win es made from grapes grown close to industrial zones showed elevated co ncentrations of ethyllead species. The concentrations of methyllead an d ethyllead found in wines were compared with the concentrations of or ganolead found in rain water and plant sap collected in the viticultur al regions. The ratio of methyllead to ethyllead in wines greatly exce eded the same ratio found in atmospheric deposits.